Trace-buckle



' spectively.

JOHN GEORGE POCKERT, 0F DUN N CENTER, NORTH DAKOTA.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIay 18, 1920.

Application ledJune 18, 1918. Serial No. 240,600.

To @ZZ whom t may concern Be it known that l, JOHN Gr. Poonnnr, a citizen of Russia, residing at Dunn Center, in the county of Dunn and State of North Dakota, have invented new and useful 1mprovenients in Trace-Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved trace buckle.

In the ordinary construction of trace buckles the loop secured to the tug strap that is attached to the haines passes through a slot in the buckle and engages with the outer surface of the trace. 'lhe buckle is provided with no metal directly opposite the inner or back bar of the loop, and consequently a pull on the tug causes the backv bar to frictionally contact with the trace, and this constant contact forces the trace in the opening through which the back bar of the loop is arranged. As a result the trace soon breaks at this point, and it is the object of the present invention to overcome this diliiculty by providing the trace buckle with the reinforcement in the nature of a tongue that practically bridges the opening through which the loop of the tug strap is received, so that the trace will find a bear-A ing against the tongue and the back bar of the loop will be prevented from buckling the trace at this point, and consequently bitinO' into or otherwise weakening the trace.

l accomplish the foregoing objects by a simple construction and arrangement of parts disclosed by the accompanying drawing, in Which,

4igure 1 is a plan view of the improvement.

F ig. 2 is an approximately central longitudinal sectional view through the same, but illustrating the trace secured on the buckle and engaged by the loopk of the tug strap.

The buckle 5 is illustrated as of the ordinary construction, including a casting having its longitudinal edges widened and provided with slots 6 and 7 respectively, one to receive the belly-band of the harness and the other the back strap. The casting is provided with spaced openings from adjacent the ends thereof which, for distinction are indicated by the numerals 8 and 9 re- One of the ends of the casting is provided with a pin 10 designed yto be received in an opening in the trace 11, the said trace contacting with the bridge piece 12 between the openings 8 and 9, and passing through the opening 8 to the opposite face of the buckle. The bridge piece 12 is, of course, integrally formed with the buckle, and integrally formed with the said bridge piece and projecting longitudinally through the opening 9 is a flat tongue 18. 1t will be noted that the tongue 13 is spaced from the .sides and from the end wall of the opening 9.

The back strap is indicated by the numeral 1st and the loop on the inner end thereof by the numeral 15. rlhe loop is of the usual construction and is designed to be passed through the opening 9 to have the inner bar 16 thereof engage with the outer face of the trace 11. Ordinarily the engagement of the bar 16 with the trace forces the latter into the opening 9, but with my construction it will be noted that such contact will cause the trace to engage with the flat tongue 13, consequently preventing buckling of the trace and the biting thereinto by the back bar 16 of the loop 15. This prevents weakening of the trace at a point where the same is susceptible to breakage for the reasons above set forth.

It will be noted that the loop l5 is permitted a longitudinal movement of the buckle because the sides thereof are arranged in the space between the edges of the tongue 13 and the side walls of the opening 9. lt will be further noted that the space between the end of the tongue 13 and the end wall ofthe opening 9 is only slightly greater than the thickness of the back bar 16 of the loop, so that the said back bar, when the loop is in position will bear directly against the tongue and not in the space between the tongue and opening. lt is believed the simplicity and advantages of the construction will be apparent without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A. trace buckle for engaging with a trace and for engaging a loop connected with a back strap, comprising a flat member having an outstanding pin on one of the edges thereof to engage in an opening in a trace and having spaced longitudinal openings through one of which the trace is adapted to pass, the bridge piece between said openthe back and side bars of the loop, whereby, ings being integrally formed with a flat when the Said loop is engaged on vthe buckle tongue directed toward the pin and` having the Said back bar thereof will rest directly 10 the side and end edges thereof parallel With over the tongue and compress the trace F the side and the end edges provided by theV thereagainst.-

last mentioned opening and spaced from said In testimony whereof I aiX my signature. edges a. distance only slightly greater than JOHN GEURGE POCKERT. 

